Jesus prays to the Father that the disciples might share in his joy. As a Fruit of the Spirit, joy is a quality that arises from our love with God and one another. May we look for joy in our lives today and share the joy of Jesus Christ with those we meet.
Mass Readings – Wednesday of the 7th Week of Easter
***************
Jesus promises a joy that is permanent and complete; may we follow the Lord today in the midst of our challenges with the conviction that God will give us what we need to find our way through this life to the Kingdom of Heaven.
Mass Readings – Friday of the 6th Week of Easter
***************
We recognize that being disciples of Jesus Christ does not take away experiences of suffering and loss; rather, we understand that God will give us what we need to make our way through even the darkest moments of life – turning our grief into joy.
Mass Readings – Thursday of the 6th Week of Easter
***************
Archive of Fr. Andrew’s Podcasts
The resurrection of Jesus brings hope and life as we turn away from our sins and embrace the living Lord. No matter what’s happened in the past, may we draw strength from God’s love and walk in the light of Christ’s amazing grace. The Lord is risen! He is risen, indeed.
***************
We wait in vigil through the night to hear the news of Easter joy: Christ is risen! At the Easter Vigil we join with the Church around the world, welcoming new members to the faith and recalling the great events of salvation history.
***************
Archive of Fr. Andrew’s Podcasts
Study: Where in my life have I discovered God’s strength and grace? How have others helped me?
Pray: Where do I need God’s strength right now? Call upon the Lord with boldness to face the challenges of life.
Serve: How can I be an instrument of God’s strength to another? How can I help someone today?
I can only imagine the surge of excitement that went through the disciples as the word was shared. Beyond the agony of the Cross and the sorrow of the Tomb on that first day of the week the message was proclaimed: He’s Alive!
And everything changes. This group of disciples – bound by fear and selfishness – are transformed with a new strength and conviction. Their encounter with the Risen Lord will empower them to face the obstacles of this world with joy and hope. They have seen the risen Christ…what is there to fear? They have embraced the one who has conquered sin and death – there is NOTHING that can shake their confidence in the light of Easter morning.
This same strength comes to us. Like the first disciples, we can turn to Jesus and allow his saving grace to renew us with a strength far beyond our own. We can claim a hope that sustains us in the midst of our challenges and struggles. The Easter sunrise brings light to the darkest corners of our hearts.
What in our lives needs to be touched by Jesus Christ? We are invited to boldly come forward, receive his resurrection strength, and face whatever this world presents with confidence: the victory of Christ enlivens us to travel through life with the conviction that the grace he gave his disciples continues in our hearts today.
May this Easter season be a time of transformation and renewal; a time where we embrace the gift of our lives with a new freedom and conviction. In the light of this Easter, may we follow the one who leads us from sin and death to the abundance of life…in this world, and the world to come.
Happy Easter!
***************
Archive of Fr. Andrew’s Podcasts
***************
Note: This post was originally published on March 29, 2015.
We rely heavily on our sense of sight to understand and navigate through this life. Light also plays a crucial role in our spiritual lives, and we look to the birth of Jesus Christ – the Light of the World – as the source of our hope that through Christ we will find the grace we need to make our way to Heaven. Merry Christmas!
******************
Archive of Fr. Andrew’s Podcasts
